If You Only Want the Best: Holo Audio Bliss KTE

The video is in Arabic.

Hey everyone,

The Holo Audio Bliss KTE is the top tier of Holo Audio’s amps, and the KTE version is tuned by Kitsune. Thanks to the owner, brother Abdulrahman, for giving me the chance to try it. It has eight discrete op-amps, weighs 10 kg, and puts out up to 12 watts on XLR (32 ohm) according to the company, with Low and High Impedance modes. Inputs and outputs are RCA and XLR, and the front outputs are 3.5, 4.4 and 4-pin XLR. All the internal wiring is pure silver. It was $3400 (about 12750 riyals, before tax and customs) at the time of the review.

Who is it for?

• Anyone looking for the best who can afford it. It’s very expensive, so read every review first.

Strengths

• The biggest and deepest soundstage I’ve heard on any amp (with an R2R DAC).
• Layering with unmatched quality, and an unreal quiet background: zero noise even with the Campfire Andromeda.
• The king of dynamics: punch, extension, air and detail in the bass are all exceptional.
• The mids are natural and balanced, and the treble kept the upper mids at the same level with every DAC.
• The best 3D (holographic) feel I’d heard at the time of the review.
• GoldenSound’s measurements: SINAD around 117.6 to 120 dB, and crosstalk around -130 dB.

Weaknesses

• It’s big, heavy, and gets hot.
• You need to run it for at least an hour before use: cold, it doesn’t compare.
• Very sensitive to the cables between it and the DAC, and to the headphone cable.
• The volume control is odd: every volume step is a gain step.

Verdict

The best amp I’d tried at the time of the review, and I didn’t find a single issue with its sound. If I could afford it, I’d buy it without thinking.

Note: this review is from 2024, so the price may have changed.

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